Which description accurately characterizes open, closed, and semi-closed primaries?

• A. Open primaries require party registration
• B. Open primaries allow any registered voter to participate; closed primaries require party registration; semi-closed have some restriction
• C. Semi-open primaries allow independents to vote in any party's primary
• D. Closed primaries exclude independent voters entirely

Answer: (B)

The question is about how different primary formats determine who can vote in party contests. In an open primary, any registered voter can participate in a party’s primary, regardless of their party affiliation. In a closed primary, only voters registered with that party can vote in its primary, so independents and other-party voters are excluded. In a semi-closed primary, unaffiliated voters can choose which party’s primary to vote in, while voters who are registered with a party must vote in that party’s primary.

This matches the description that open primaries allow any registered voter to participate, closed primaries require party registration, and semi-closed primaries impose some restriction on who can participate. For context, the other options either misstate who can vote in open primaries or describe less precise or inconsistent arrangements for semi-closed and closed systems.